With SS, this is not completely related to the question of what Evgeni "should" do, but in general, actually I wanted to mention that I think Evgeni has always had great skating skills. Even when he was a teenager, this was something commentators often talked about specifically about his skating. In recent years, especially in the Vancouver Olympic season, his skating skills were rather underrated and (in my own personal opinion) sometimes underscored. I think--though I am obviously not an expert--it's partly because of politics (especially at Vancouver, with the amount of propaganda about how he "only has jumps") and the lack of support from the Russian Fed. Partly, of course, it is also because of his physical issues with injuries, stamina, etc.: he mentioned last season that if he weren't injured, he could have done everything--jumps, spins, footwork, the basic skating itself--differently.

I also get the sense that his skating skills is a different style than what is the most fashionable now, perhaps more "old school". It may have somewhat less of the kind of the showy deep-edge tricks that is so valued today. Perhaps, I even sometimes want to guess (only guess) that in his view of skating, skating skills possibly has (or did have) a more "foundational" character; it is what the entire performance is build upon, rather than something you would especially show off in and of itself, to some extent. However, when people talk about his skating, I often see statements like "he makes it look so easy", "he is one with the ice", "he makes the rink look like his own home"....How is it possible to give such impressions without tremendous skating skills? I have also heard people who have watched him live say that he has great speed, but you don't see him working hard to gain that speed. To me (though I've not watched him live, and from what I've heard people say, this is even far more pronounced when you do see him live), it seems that Evgeni's skating is characterized by an incredible sense of ease and naturalness, as well as seemingly effortless control. (With the control aspect, I especially appreciated the British Eurosport commentators--former ice dancers themselves--at the European Championships in Sheffield earlier this year, pointing out one particular moment of transition right after his quad: "do you see how he's able to just turn and stop?" It may not be as showy as some other types of transitions, but even I get that it's not something you'd be able to do without a great deal of skill.)

Jackie Wong of the SF Examiner (a North American commentator, but one whom I've found to be less prejudiced than most in general), mentioned in response to people questioning Evgeni's PCS that

Plushenko had a great effortlessness in movement and a natural ability to generate great speed and power. Those aspects of his skating are sometimes underappreciated.

Perhaps his skating skills are of such a type, and to such an extent, that sometimes it's possible to actually forget that it is in fact a skill. And also, when he skates, his entire body is so expressive, the performance is so integrated as a whole, and there is so much emotion being communicated, that I suspect sometimes it's possible one's attention is drawn away from what is happening specifically under his blades.

Of course, what I as a fan think doesn't matter nearly as much as what the judges think. So I am by no means saying that he shouldn't "meet" the currently prevalent view of skating at least part of the way, even if those views perhaps may be seen as artistically limiting and somewhat logically flawed. I think in one respect, having more transitions will already display his skating skills in a way that is more advantageous in today's judging system. But then again, what the judges think often are more influenced by other factors than by what is actually happening on ice. So I guess, I can see he is working to adapt to the "new direction" in skating--of course, within what is allowed by his artistic beliefs and instincts. But I think it would also be helpful if the particular strengths of his style of skating skills are, in fact, not so undervalued. However, that is a matter which does not necessarily depend on he himself so much, but more on others...

(So sorry for the long, rambling, and maybe slightly off-topic post again....But I do think this is one issue which affects how his skating is judged.)